Reluctant Striker

Man City really do have big problems right now. Villa have had plenty of narrow one goal wins this season. But this was the 1st when the result actually flattered the opponent.

3rd before Wednesday matches. 2 group games remaining. Monaco (a) & Celtic (h). Going as well as it could.

Yes, I hope he is ok. At 34, I imagine even best scenario is possibly career ending.

Villa's performance & result much the same as early season form. Yes, 3 points. A win without really playing well. Positives. But another result Vs many other teams in this league.

Pep is part way there really. Their recent results are because Man City are not playing like Man City of the last 5 years. Pointless & cringe crowding the ref as though the refs are somehow causing Man City's 'bad' form. Forest the latest in a long line to win at Old Trafford for the 1st time since the days of T Rex.

A long overdue & much needed win. Southampton (h) next, so chance ahead to really forget about the last month or so. Good to see both Kamara & Mings starting. Kamara really does a unique job in the middle. And although Pau is a spectacularly under rated long precision passer, ball playing CB, Mings is more commanding defensively & in the air. Usually. I'd be very surprised if the current Top 4 are not there at the end. Feels like enough is finally sticking now at Chelsea that they look very good for the 4th spot alongside the other 3.

Still only 3 points of 3rd, but.. Villa are definitely struggling from what they had to do in the transfer window. Which did include looking to tread water rather than press on. Difficult to predict anything but a battering at Stamford Bridge next weekend. At least Manchester is providing amusing distractions..

With Villa I think it's mostly the transfer activities that have been finally impacting. Duran was getting lots of attention for his multiple late winners off the bench. Rogers has been getting England potential type reviews. But it's often been a whole new midfield pair & plenty of the others just not quite performing yet. Palace (h), Juventus (h) & Chelsea (a) feels like a point where something needs to start properly clicking. If we are going to stay in & around the race for a top 4 spot.

Liverpool vs Villa ? Feels like the wheels are in danger of coming off the extraordinary Unai wagon. He's taken us so far, so quickly, I think he will be immune from too much pressure for some time. But today, at very, very best Villa find a bit of form & squeak a narrow win, or battle for a point. Or, it gets embarrassing. Almost Man United style.

Ask any Wolves / West Midlands fan whether West Ham or Forest got their last manager appointment right, it would be 70%-80% for Forest.

The more I look into internal trading standards, the better it seems there has not been the right alignment of US President & UK PM to do some kind of enhanced trade deal. I was watching a documentary recently on lots of American sourced snack foods & soft drinks being seized from small UK shops, because the ingredients used are known to cause diseases, such as cancer. The US is that far behind on regulations. And many US toothpastes contain peroxide, way above any level the EU would sanction. Plus, if it was ever a Trump deal, which does at least seem off the menu now, he would bend the UK over a big one. Even if he does prefer the UK (which he can just about understand the language of) over a number of other places. But, honestly can not say I will miss the Biden, Macron, UVDL cosy up at all the 'diplomatic' get togethers. Maybe that's their approach with China, Russia, North Korea, etc. In my opinion 'the left' these days seem to forget how many people just are not hard wired into looking for anything but the others. And so often it feels like that's a significant part of the sales pitch.

1st to 8th in one match! 1 of the toughest away Premier League matches next. Hope they start finding form again soon.

For suggesting in a press conference that bleach may be an answer to Covid, it's absurd he's been re-elected. For that reason alone. A generation back just any 1 of the scandal of talking such nonsense, or being impeached, or found guilty of any crime.. it would have been political career ending. There must be some hope that he is a 1 off phenomenon though.

Can't really complain. Diaby was not really replaced. Bailey has had minor knocks / form issues. Buendia is still on the comeback path. And defensively Onana & Tielemans are not quite Kamara & Douglas Luiz. Form vs the lower half of the table had been suggesting beatings vs the better teams. Anfield next weekend.. At this point I'm mostly trying to decide what exactly it is that James Maddison said or did to Ange..

You may have noticed I tend toward feelings & instincts rather than tactical analysis. But, on this occasion, I have to say Unai's line up, with the level of players Villa have, beats Ange's line up, with the level of players Spurs have. Ange needs to change something soon, or get bailed out by an individual moment or 2. Would not put it past them. But right now, the match is being decided by the 2 coaches.